Ditching-machine.



lH.l W. LUTZ & W. HUTGHISON.'

DITGHING MACHINE.

` AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 2. l 1,965,457, K Patented June24, 1913.

H. W. LUTZ & W. HUTGHISON.

DITCHING MACHINE.

` APPLICATION FILED MAYQ, 1912.

1,065,457, V Patented June 24,1913.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

' y mvemfofcd Hm Luiz u W. Huchien l l @LA @5. www X www HARRY W. LUTZAND WILLIAM HUTCHISON, GF ANTIOCI-, CALIFORNIA.

DITCHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 9, 1912.

atented June 2d, 1913.

Serial No. 696,126.

To all whom 2.25 may concern.'

Be it kno-wn that we, HARRY 1V. LUTZ and IVILLIAM HU'ror-nsox, citizensof the United States, residing at Antioch` in the county of ContraCosta, State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ditching-Machines; and we do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisapplication.

This invention relates to improvements in excavators and particularly7to that class known as ditching machines the object of the inventionbeing to produce a ditching machine having an improved excavating ordigging point which will be easily adjustable for the different depthsof ditches, there being in operation with such digging point anadjustable pair of disks adapted to ride ahead of the digging point tocut. the sides of the ditches. XVe further provide an adjustableconveyer, such conveyer and such disks having a raising and loweringmeans by means of which such conveyor, disks and digging point may beraised or lowered in one simultaneous movement, such digging pointhaving a further independent adjusting means whereby its angle ofoperation may be changed according to the depth of the ditch.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly7 effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects, we accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the digging point.Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, showing the wheel structure and means forconnecting the frame therewith.

Referring now more particularly to the characters o-f reference on thedrawings, we first provide two main side beams 1 spaced apart andprovided with a front cross beam -rear ends of said beams 1 as at 5a areblocks 5 secured to beams 6, which beams G project at an incline and arejournaled at their rear ends upon an axle 7 carrying supporting' wheels8. Such beams 6 are provided with projecting metal bars 9 provided withside boards 10. Pivotally' mounted on the members 9 on a pin as at 11 isan inclosed shoe 12 having a projecting arm 13 connected with the rearend of which are arms 14 provided with a plurality of holes 15 bolt-edthro-ugh which holes may be a lever 16 having an operating handle 17provided with a release rod and handle 20 having the usual form ofrelease dog mechanism 21 engageable in a rack 22 secured to o-ne of thebeams G. In the frame 12 is a digging point comprising a plat-form 23bolted to the sides of the member 12 as shown in Fig. 3. Disposedbetween the sides of the member 12 and around the pin 11 just to therear of the platform 23 is a pulley 25 movable over which is a co-nveyer26 which moves between the members 9 and 10 and around a large pulley 27disposed on an axle 28 journaled in the rear ends of the members G, suchconveyer being an ordinary belt conveyer provided wit-h projecting ironflanges 29, such ccnveyer being adapted to discharge upon a side chute30 at the rear end of the beams 6. 0n the shaft 28 is a gear wheel 31which drives said shaft 28 and incidentally the conveyer 26 which gearwheel 31 is in turn driven by a gear wheel 32 secured on the axle 7which is driven by means of the movement of the wheels 8 which areconnected to said axle 7 by means of a pawl and ratchet structure 7 a ofthe usual type to permit the easy turning of corners.

The numeral 33 designates a shaft journaled in members 34 secured on thebeams 1 and being adapted to engage a worm gear 35 having an operatinghandle 37 disposed. within reach of theoperators seat 38 and in thisconnection it is also stated that the member 17 projects within reach ofthe operators seat 38. Mounted on the shaft 38 is a drum 39 wound aroundwhich are chains 10 connecting at their lower ends with the members 9whereby with the operation of the handle 37 the members 9 and all theirconnected parts may be raised or lowered by means of the hinges 5a.

Movable vertically through plates 41, disposed across the forward end ofthe beams l 1s a vertical )ost 4:2 bendme at its lower o end and havinga pin or shaft 43 carrying a pair of cutting disks lift. From the upperend of the member l2 a chain lo pro- ]ects under a sheave 4G and thencearound the drum 39 and thence over a sheave l-S and is then connected tothe lower end of the post 42. By this structure, when the meinber 37 isoperated and raises or lowers the members 9 and their connected parts,this will also raise or lower the disks lil in order that they may atall times maintain the same plane as the other parts of the machine.Secured to the lower end ot the member l2 are projecting eeler arms i9adapted to project in the same plane as the disks Lift to maintain theproper horizontal position of the machine in the ditch since theseeelers di) will follow along the side edges of the ditch as it is dup'and t-hus act as guides for the balance ot the machine. Thus as will beseen 'from the structure given the disks 44 will first proceed alone andloosen up the dirt along the sides ot the ditch to be dug and after asuitable depth is reached the members 4:9 guide the future action. Afterthe side oi the ditch is dug and loosened by the disks de, the point 9stdigs the level pla-ne of the ditch and with the forward movement of themachine this dirt is pushed up over the plate 23 where it dumps onto theconveyor 2G and with the operation of such conveyor by means ot the gearmechanism described, it delivers the dirt under the adjustable chute 30from whence it is piled up on the edge ot the ditch. within their sideswhile the members 9 act as the guides for the conveyer. and to that endare provided with a plurality of rollers to support the conveyer. Also,as can be readily seen by means of the adjusting lever 1G the angle ofthe point Q-t may be turned either up or down according to the depth otthe ditch by moving the member 12 on its pivotal point 11 and also bychanging The members l0 confine the dirtY the pivotal connection of themember 1G in one of the holes in the member 15. rlhe degree ot thisangle may be correspondingly increased and decreased.

From the foregoing` description it will be readily seen that we haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfils the object ot theinvention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in de tail the present andpreferred construction oit' the device, still in practice suchdeviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not torni adeparture from the spirit otl the invention.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. At device of the character described comprising a trame mounted onwheels, another trame hinged to said tirst named trame and pivotallymounted on an axle carrying wheels, a conveyor carried by said secondnamed traine, a digging point carried by said second named frame andadapted to discharge on said conveyor, means for raising and loweringsaid second named trame and means tor tilting said digger pointindependently ot any movement otl said second named frame, as described.

2. A device of the character described comprising a main trame mountedon wheels. an independent frame hinged to said main frame, and beingournaled on an axle carrying wheels, means for raising and lowering saidsecond named frame, a conveyer disposed in said second named frame, adigging point flexibly ournaled on. said second. named trame, means forinelining said digger point, said digger point discharging upon saideonveyer, as described.

in testimony whereof' we atliX our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HARRY W. LUTZ. VlLLIAll/I HUTCHISON. lVitnesses STEPHEN N. BLnwirrr,Parier S. lVnnsrnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for rive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

